CE 462 - Open Channel Hydraulics
MWF 2:30-3:20 – 73 Willard Building
Instructor: Dr. Norman D. Folmar, P.E.
Office: 215B Sackett
Phone: 865-3095
Email: nfolmar@engr.psu.edu or ndf100@psu.edu
Office Hours: Mondays 10-12, Wednesdays 10-11, Fridays 10-12, and by appointment
Required Text: Sturm, T., Open Channel Hydraulics, 2nd Edition, McGraw-Hill
Prerequisite Requirements:
The prerequisite for this class is CE 360. You will be dropped from this course by the last day of the
drop/add period (Wednesday, September 2) if your PSU record does not reflect that you have passed this
requirement. Please contact me as soon as possible if you have any concerns regarding this requirement.
Open Channel Hydraulics draws heavily from Fluid Mechanics; we will use the conservation laws of
classical mechanics to formulate and analyze a wide variety of interesting flow phenomena. Your familiarity
with the material in CE 360 is assumed and will be essential to a satisfactory performance in CE 462. The
review of this material during the first week of class will not be a replacement for this requirement.
Grading:
Homework
Midterm Exams (2)
Project
30%
50%
20%
Final grades will be based on the weighted-average specified above and assigned as follows:
• A = 94-100%
• A- = 90-93%
• B+ = 87-89%
• B = 84-86%
• B- = 80-83%
• C+ = 76-79%
• C = 70-75%
• D = 60-69%
• F < 60%
COURSE GOALS:
Enable you to understand and apply the fundamental principles governing open channel hydraulics to the
design of engineering systems. Natural and engineered hydraulic systems affect many aspects of the physical
world, and modern human conveniences (e.g., water supplies). This course represents a stepping stone in
your professional development; it is intended to aid you in developing the skills you will need for systematic
decomposition and solution of real-world problems.
ABET EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES:
• Gain a solid understanding of the basic principles of mathematics, science, and engineering.
• Be able to apply this understanding to advance your technical competency in Civil Engineering
• Be able to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools learned in this course for
practice in Civil Engineering and/or graduate education.
ABET EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES:
• An ability to apply your knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering.
• An ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering
practice.
HOMEWORK:
Homework will be assigned regularly and is due at the beginning of class on the due date. Late homework
will not be accepted. All homework is to be done in pencil on regular-sized (8.5”x11”) paper. Please use
only 1 side of the paper. Present your homework NEATLY and in an ORGANIZED manner. Homework
that is unclear will be returned ungraded. Each assignment is complete only if it has the following:
• Your name on each page of stapled solutions
• Provide a clear problem outline
o Given information – summarize the problem including labeled diagrams
o Objective of the problem – state the unknown that is sought
o Solution - A legible step-by-step presentation of the solutions
• Boxed answers are to be presented in proper units
The grading of each homework problem (or significant part of a mulit-part problem) will be:
• 3 points – Highest quality: assumptions and problem are well defined; problem solving method is
clear and logical; the correct conceptual approach is used; a correct or nearly-correct final answer
is presented. Minor mistakes (algebra, etc.) may result in full credit.
• 2 points – Satisfactory quality: problem statement is complete; the solution approach is generally
correct, but may have inaccurate or missing minor elements; units are missing from your final
answer; your final answer is not clearly identified.
• 1 point – Marginal quality: problem statement is incomplete and/or solving method is incomplete
or not completely correct; work is illegible, unorganized or only marginally complete.
• 0 point – completely unacceptable. No substantive effort to solve the problem was made.
All homework assignments will have equal weight. Your lowest homework grade will be dropped. This is
meant account for any potential issues that you may encounter during the semester (illness, etc.) that keeps
you from doing your absolute best every week.
EXAMS:
This class has 2 mid-term exams. All exams will be closed-book, with necessary equations and numerical
constants provided. While calculators may be used, cell phones, blackberries, and other electronic devices
are strictly prohibited. Makeup exams will only be given in the event of a documented illness or a family
emergency. Arrangements for an alternate exam need to be made, when possible, prior to the scheduled exam
date.
FINAL PROJECT:
The final four weeks of the semester will involve significant computer work (HEC-RAS and HECGEORAS). You will have several small tutorial-style homework assignments during this period and one
involved project, which builds upon these assignments. This final project will be in lieu of a final exam in the
class.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:
The College of Engineering’ statement on academic integrity is available at
http://www.engr.psu.edu/CurrentStudents/acadinteg.aspx. Please review this information as it provides
details on what constitutes a violation of academic integrity, how violations are dealt with, and penalties for
violations.
Special Fall 2009 Flu Protocols. In compliance with Pennsylvania Department of Health and
Centers for Disease Control recommendations, students should NOT attend class or any public
gatherings while ill with influenza. Students with flu symptoms will be asked to leave campus if
possible and to return home during recovery. The illness and self-isolation period will usually be
about a week. It is very important that individuals avoid spreading the flu to others.
Most students should be able to complete a successful semester despite a flu-induced absence.
Faculty will provide students who are absent because of illness with a reasonable opportunity to
make up missed work. Ordinarily, it is inappropriate to substitute for the missed assignment the
weighting of a semester's work that does not include the missed assignment or exam. Completion of
all assignments and exams assures the greatest chance for students to develop heightened
understanding and content mastery that is unavailable through the weighting process. The
opportunity to complete all assignments and exams supports the university's desire to enable
students to make responsible situational decisions, including the decision to avoid spreading a
contagious virus to other students, staff, and faculty, without endangering their academic work.
Students with the flu do not need to provide a physician's certification of illness. However, ill
students should inform their teachers (but not through personal contact in which there is a risk of
exposing others to the virus) as soon as possible that they are absent because of the flu. Likewise
students should contact their instructors as quickly as possible to arrange to make up missed
assignments or exams.
COURSE SCHEDULE (subject to change, if topics require more lecture time)
Lec. #
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
Week/Date
1M – Aug. 24
1W – Aug. 26
1F – Aug. 28
2M – Aug. 31
2W – Sept. 2
2F – Sept. 4
3M – Sept. 7
3W – Sept. 9
3F – Sept.11
4M – Sept. 14
4W – Sept. 16
4F – Sept. 18
5M – Sept. 21
5W – Sept. 23
5F – Sept. 25
6M – Sept. 28
6W – Sept. 30
6F – Oct. 2
7M – Oct. 5
7W – Oct. 7
7F – Oct. 9
8M – Oct. 12
8W – Oct. 14
8F – Oct. 16
9M – Oct. 19
9W – Oct. 21
9F – Oct. 23
10M – Oct. 26
10W – Oct. 28
10F – Oct. 30
11M – Nov. 2
11W – Nov. 4
11F – Nov. 6
12M – Nov. 9
12W – Nov. 11
12F – Nov. 13
13M – Nov. 16
13W – Nov. 18
13F – Nov. 20
14M – Nov. 23
14W – Nov. 25
14F – Nov. 27
15M – Nov. 30
15W – Dec. 2
15F – Dec. 4
16M – Dec. 7
16W – Dec. 9
16F – Dec. 11
Topic
Course Introduction
Review of Fluid Mechanics
Specific Energy
Specific Energy
Specific Energy
Momentum
No Class – Labor day
Momentum
Catch up
Uniform Flow
Uniform Flow
Uniform Flow
Uniform Flow
Catch up
GVF
GVF
Review for Exam 1
Exam 1
GVF
GVF
Catch up
Hydraulic Structures - gauging
Hydraulic Structures - spillways
Hydraulic Structures - culverts
Hydraulic Structures - culverts
Hydraulic Structures - bridges
Hydraulic Structures - bridges
Catch up
Unsteady Flow
Unsteady Flow
Unsteady Flow
Review for Exam 2
Exam 2
Catch up
Introduction to HEC-RAS
HEC-RAS workshop
HEC-RAS workshop
HEC-RAS workshop
HEC-RAS workshop
No Class – Thanksgiving Break
No Class – Thanksgiving Break
No Class – Thanksgiving Break
No Class – HEC-RAS assignment
Final project - assigned
Work on final project
Work on final project
Work on final project
Work on final project
Reading
Assignments
Ch.1
Ch. 2.1-4
Ch. 2.5-8
Ch. 3.1-3
HW #1 Due
Ch. 3.4-6
HW #2 Due
Ch. 4.1-4
Ch. 4.5-8
Ch. 4.9-12
Ch. 4.13-17
Ch. 5.1-3
Ch.5.4-6
HW #3 Due
HW #4 Due
Ch. 5.7-9
Ch. 5.10-11
HW #5 Due
Ch. 6.1-4
Ch. 6.5
HW #6 Due
Ch. 6.6
HW #7 Due
Ch. 7.1-2
Ch.8.1
Handouts
manuals
HW #8 Due